


Holy Night

by Tarlan



Series: Dark Gift [14]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Christmas, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-17
Updated: 2012-12-17
Packaged: 2017-11-21 09:36:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/596220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On Christmas Eve, they all returned to the town that brought them together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Holy Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DichotomyStudios](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DichotomyStudios/gifts).



> Created for Mag7DayBook - Holiday Stocking 2012, for Huntersglenn, Ivanna, and Van

Vin sighed as he landed softly on the snowy ridge overlooking the ghost town that had once been their home. When the railway missed the town, the expected commerce dried up as merchants slowly moved away to the closest town with a station, relying on the railway to bring them customers. The cattle barons bought out most of the land for grazing, leaving little work for those who aspired to become something more than a cowboy or ranch hand. It still took more than forty years before it became a ghost town but, by then, he and Chris were already hunting through the streets of Chicago and Detroit, living through times that had since become immortalized in gangster movies: prohibition, Al Capone and the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Bonnie and Clyde.

The others had gone with them, rarely living more than a city away, and mostly living with them.

It was easy to blend into the crowds in the city, reinventing themselves from one decade to the next by mingling with a new crowd, experiencing fresh ideas and always finding plenty of small-time murderers and other pond-scum to feed upon. Vin had loved the dress style of the ' _gangster years_ ', with smart suits and coats, and Fedora hats replacing the slouch hat that he'd favored while human, and Chris looked mighty good in a suit too.

Despite the crowds, they could still find places within the city limits that were solitary enough to give Chris a respite from the constant pounding of voices in his head, but they returned to the small town where they had all first met every Christmas Eve.

Vin sank down with preternatural grace beside the quiet vampire whom he'd known intimately through all these decades, smiling when Chris reached out to clasp his hand. Vin noticed that it was cold to the touch especially without the summer heat that would have warmed mortal flesh, though neither of them truly felt the cold anymore.

"You need to feed, Chris."

"Tomorrow."

Vin nodded as none of them liked to kill on this one night of the year. He sent a wave of warm thoughts through their vampire bond, but otherwise remained silent. Instead Vin looked up at the winter sky, glorying in the beauty of stars shining like diamonds scattered across a velvet, dark blue cloth. With his dark gift of sight, he had always seen the night sky even through the pollution of the city but he knew Chris was not quite so fortunate in that respect. Chris's vampire eyes pierced the worst of the hazy city fog but not with Vin's clarity.

Vin shifted, clearing away more of the snow so he could sit behind Chris and drawing Chris back against his chest. He wrapped his arms around Chris as they watched the moon rise.

A flurry of motion stirred up the snow, causing Chris to tense for a moment before his eyes flicked sideways and head tilted in greeting to Ezra and Nathan as they settled down beside them. Vin smiled as he caught the edges of Chris's frustration, aware that Chris could not read either of the newcomers because he had sired them both. Yet he also felt an outpouring of love through their bond as Ezra wrapped himself around Nathan, his pale face in beautiful, stark contrast against Nathan's dark skin as he placed his chin on Nathan's shoulder, cheek pressed to cheek.

Vin knew the others would arrive soon, bringing their family together again. Even without the mental forewarning from Chris, Vin anticipated their arrival just from the way his lover tilted his head and looked up into the night sky. Unlike with Nathan and Ezra's graceful entrance, Buck and J.D. arrived in a heap as they deliberately tackled each other onto the snowy ground.

"Nothing changes," Chris murmured but his lips were curled in fondness rather than exasperation as Buck and J.D. started chasing and fighting each other with snowballs.

"Woo-ey!" Buck exclaimed, exhilarated by the flight and fight. He dropped down beside them and slapped Vin on the back before leaning in to press a soft kiss to Chris's lips in a familiar greeting. "Hey, Old Dog."

J.D. and Ezra were talking about the latest gadgets in this modern world, and Vin shook his head, knowing he'd learn about them soon enough. He knew they had to keep moving forward or they would stagnate, becoming lost and confused like so many of their kind, and in danger of being found out. Unless they planned to hide away from humanity forever, holing up deep underground, each decade required new documents and new skills so they could pass among the mortals.

As the moon rose higher, the others fell silent, quietly enthralled by the beauty of the world surrounding them, and the pleasure of the silver filaments of their family bond binding them together through him and Chris. Only Josiah was still missing, and Vin could feel Chris's concern grow as the minutes passed.

Light in the town caught all their attention, and Vin hugged Chris tighter as multi-colored lights began to ripple along the old main street and across the dilapidated roof tops of what used to be the saloon, hotel and stables. Twinkling lights slowly circled around a tree, the finale a blaze of light at the top. In the darkness of the plain below them, the town shone like a jewel in the snow, and Chris was the first to take flight towards the beckoning Christmas lights; Vin and the others followed.

Chris set down at the edge of the town, walking at a mortal's pace and Vin walked just as slowly beside him, feeling Chris's pleasure and delight through the bond they shared. As if to set a seal of approval on this Christmas Eve, it began to snow gently, with soft snowflakes drifting down, reflecting off the twinkling lights with a brilliance of colors that went beyond the vision of mortal eyes.

Waiting for them beneath the tall Christmas tree, Josiah beamed in greeting.

"Merry Christmas," he boomed, arms flung wide, and Chris moved straight into that embrace, having long since lost any hesitancy or lack of propriety with these six men.

Vin joined them, wrapping his arms around both Chris and Josiah, and laughing when the others joined the group hug. They sank down in the middle of the old main street, taking in the solitude and beauty in a moment of pleasurable silence until Josiah began to sing. Laughing, the others slowly joined in.

All too soon, the moon set, and with only two hours remaining until sunrise, Chris sighed, both of them aware that they would need to leave soon if they were to beat the sun to the safety of their home.

Vin hugged Josiah tightly. "You did good, Josiah."

Vin and Chris swept away, leaving the now darkened town far behind them, knowing their family would follow.

END


End file.
